Ecliptic Creatures
by Sixty Five Roses
Summary: Rusty learns an unexpected lesson in life.


Rusty was not sure what Sharon had in mind when she grabbed his hand and marched him up the stairs to the roof of their building. He didn't like climbing the stairs and since they lived in the 11th floor, there was no need for it anyway. However, Sharon's grip of his hand was firm and her voice was insistent, so he followed her, noticing that she held a picnic basket in her free hand.

The roof was cleaner than Rusty thought it would be and there was enough space there to play soccer if he tried. He could see a few wires and pipes here and there, but it seemed rather empty. If he looked very carefully, he could see the hills in the darkness and if he turned the opposite direction, he could see the lights of the city. It was a breathtaking sight.

"So, what are we doing here?" he asked when Sharon opened the picnic basket and pulled out a blanket, spreading it on the floor.

"It's a surprise. Just wait a little longer," she smiled as she sat down on the blanket, patting the spot next to her. Rusty took a seat and sighed. Now that he was not allowed to go anywhere on his own, it was hard to find a place where he could be alone and think. The roof might be a quiet place for this and he was pretty sure Sharon wouldn't mind if he went up there occasionally. Of course, she'll probably insist on going up with him, but he was sure she'll give him enough space.

Sharon pulled a can of soda out of the basket and handed it to him. He thanked her and popped it open, enjoying the hissing sound of the bubbles. Sharon then took out a wineglass and a wine bottle that was smaller than the ones she usually bought. She opened it and poured it into her glass. She took a small and elegant sip and smiled at Rusty. "Great view, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's okay," Rusty said. "But why are we having picnic here at 11 p.m.?" he wondered.

"It's not just a regular picnic, Rusty. Just wait a few more minutes," Sharon replied.

"Is someone else joining us?" Rusty tried to guess.

"No, it's just us."

"Okay, is there something that's supposed to happen all of the sudden?" Sharon pursed her lips and her eyes widened a little in the way that made her look innocent and guilty at the same time. A little shrug of her shoulders accompanied this expression. Rusty huffed and took a sip of his soda.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"A little," Rusty replied. Sharon knew him well enough to know that he was always hungry, just like any normal teenage boy. She pulled a sandwich out of the basket and handed it to him. Rusty grinned; he suspected that she packed a three course meal inside that basket. He peeled the wrapping paper from his sandwich and took a big bite. Sharon made his favorite sandwich – thick slices of whole wheat bread with Sharon's infamous avocado spread and slices of chicken. "Thanks, Sharon. It's delicious." She responded with a nod of her head and a smile. She sipped her wine slowly and looked at the sky when she finally saw it.

"There it is," she said. Rusty looked at her with a questioning gaze in his eyes and he chewed his sandwich.

"There's what?"

"Look at the moon," Sharon replied. Rusty raised his eyes and stared at the white ball that was hanging in the sky.

"I don't see anything," he said a few moments later.

"Look closer, Rusty. You'll see it in a second," Sharon assured him. Rusty did as she said, when he suddenly noticed it, a dark shadow creeping slowly, and hiding part of the moon. It was a magical sight that he's never seen before. His eyes were fixed on the white orb that was gradually being swallowed by the mysterious shadow. Rusty thought of it as an evil being taking over a harmless creature, slowly depriving him of the life he had; like his own letter writer did to him.

"Holly cannoli, what just happened?" Rusty called out when the moon started turning red. It was almost like the evil being stuck a sharp knife in its victim's heart, drawing blood.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Sharon asked and Rusty could hear the excitement in her voice.

"How did it happen?" Rusty wondered.

"Well, when a lunar eclipse happens, the moon is hidden by the shadow cast by the Earth," Sharon started. "When it just begins to move into the shadow, the sunrays still reach it, but when the Earth fully hides it, the sunrays hit the atmosphere and break into colors. It looks like a rainbow, only in two lines on either side of Earth," Sharon paused and took a long sip of her wine. "The red rays can travel the longest distance, so when the moon is situated right behind Earth, the red rays are the only ones that can reach it. That's what gives it the red color."

"It's kinda like a magic trick."

"It's astrophysics, honey," Sharon corrected him.

"Whatever it's called – it's interesting. Why can't they teach it in St. Joseph instead of Math?" Rusty complained, his eyes not moving from the blood-red sphere that was slowly turning brighter as it moved along its path and out of the shadow. The white slowly taking over the red; the harmless creature winning the fight against the evil shadow, moving back into the light. "Thanks for showing me this… what did you say it was called?"

"Lunar Eclipse," Sharon replied. "And I'm glad you saw it, Rusty," she paused and brought the wine glass to her lips, tilting it and letting the last drops gather on her tongue. "To other people this might be just an astrophysical event, but I always like to see it as a message."

"What message?" Rusty quirked his eyebrow.

"That there's hope. Rusty, when the situation is dire, there's always hope that you'll move out of the shadow and back into the light." Rusty pretended to not understand what she meant, despite the fact that he did. "Just think about it and trust me when I say that things will get better for us." Sharon's eyes were shining in the dark and Rusty could see that she was trying not to blink, so the tears in her eyes won't start rolling down her face.

"Yeah, I think you're right," he said, trying to sound as soft as she did when she tried to comfort him. "We will be just fine eventually."


End file.
